Harvesting machine



Jan. 2, 1934. "r, N. PIERSON HARVESTING MACHINE Filed Oct. 27, 1932 5 Sheets-Sheet l A TTORNE Y.

Jian. 2, 1934. T. N. PlERsoN HARVESTING MACHINE FiledOct. 27, 1932 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 ATTORNEY.

Jan. 2, 1934. T. N. PIERsoN HARVESTING MACHINE Filed Oct. 27, 1932 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 777i ATTORNEY.

Jan. 2, 1934. T. N. PIERsoN HARVESTING MACHINE Filed Oct. 27, 1952 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 A TTORNE Y.

Jan- 2, 1934 T. N. PIERSON 1,942,037

HARVESTING MACHINE A TTORNE Y.

Patented Jan. 2, 1934 NETE STATES FTENT HARVE STING MCHINE Application October 27, 1932.

21 Claims.

This invention relates to harvesting machines and more particularly to one for harvesting maize crops such as corn and the like, and has for its principal object to provide a stronger and more rigid construction per unit of weight and which is capable of resisting the stresses and strains incidental to harvesting relatively heavy crops such as corn.

Another important object of the invention is l@ to provide a simple and efficient pick-up mechanism for straightening and diverting reclining stalks of corn for positive delivery into the machine.

In accomplishing these and other objects of the invention, 1 have provided improved details of structure, the preferred form of which is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a perspective View of the harvesting unit of the machine, with the left hand guard cover removed and a portion of the center guard broken away to better illustrate the pick-up mechanisms and their supporting structures.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the unit showing its connection with the shredding and shelling unit of the machine.

Fig. 3 is a cross sectional View through one of the pick-up mechanisms on the line 3-3, Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a detail perspective View of the central supporting structure for the pick-up mechanism. Fig. 5 is an enlarged detail perspective-view of the end of one of the brackets for carrying the pick-up chain sprockets.

Fig. 6 is a vertical sectional view through the forward pick-up sprockets.

05 Fig. 7 is a vertical sectional view through the sprockets carrying the rear ends of the pick-up conveyor chains showing the driving mechanism therefor.

Fig. 8 is a sectional view on the line 8 8, Fig. 3.

Referring more in detail to the drawings:

l designates a housing extending longitudinally in the direction of travel of the machine for enclosing a shelling and shredding cylinder 2 which reduces the harvested material and discharges it into the separating section of the machine (nob shown), which may be of conventional construction and specifically forms no part of the present invention.

Extending laterally from the side of the housing 1 and supported in rigid relation thereto is a trough-shaped conveyor pan 3 including a curved bottom sheet 4 having i'.'s forward edge extending laterally from adjacent the front of the housing l and its rear edge terminating in an upwardly inclined back wall 5 forming a wind- Serial No. 639,828

break and a support for the grain .stalks as they are engaged by a conveyor 6 for feed into the housing 1. The outer end of the pan is closed by an end wall 7 which cooperates with the side wall S of the housing 1 to support the conveyor. 50T

The conveyor 6 includes a shaft 9 of sufficient length to extend the full length of the pan, and carries a ilighting 10 arranged to move in close relation to the bottom of the pan for engaging and feeding the stalks toward the shelling cylinder as later described. The ends of the shaft are rotatably mounted in suitable bearings 11, and the end adjacent the wall 8 carries a sprocket 12 which is driven by a chain 13 operating o-ver a sprocket 14 on the cylinder shaft, the cylinder shaft in turn being actuated by a chain 15 which is driven from a suitable prime mover (not shown). y

Fixed to and extending along the front lower edge of the conveyor pan is a Z-shaped bar 16 having an upper horizontal flange 17 cooperating with an upper angle bar 18 to form a supporting rail for the cutting mechanism later described. The Z-bar 16 and angle bar 18 are secured together and to the lip of the pan by bolts 19 extending through the flange 17, through openings in the edge of the pan and through the horizontal flange 20 of the angle bar 18. The other leg 21 of the angle bar 18 extends verti- 85 cally along the upper edge of the pan and forms an attaching means for anchoring spaced Vertical plate members 22, 23 and 24, respectively, that are spaced apart to form throats 25 and 26 having their centers arranged according to the standard spacing of the rows in a field so that when the machine is moved` along the rows of corn, the stalks will align with the central portions of the throats.

The center plate member 23 includes a substantially flat rectangular portion 27 extending upwardly from the angle bar 18 to a point approximately in spaced relation with the upper portion of the screw conveyor. Extending from each side of the plate and from the top edge are forwardly and outwardly directed wing portions 28, 29 and 30, the wings 28 and 29 being connected to the wing 30 by substantially triangular-shaped portions 3l and 32 having arcuate forward edges merging into the straight front edges of the wings to form a hollow-like housing opening forwardly of the machine. Extending about the forward edges of the wing portions is a substantially U-shaped flange 33 for reinforcing the free edges of the housing and 110 for attaching a covering shield for the pick-up mechanism.

The plate members 22 and 24 include vertical plate portions having their edges adjacent the throats provided with wings 84 similar to the wings 28 and 29 and along their top edges with wings 35 connected to the wings 34 by triangular-shaped portions 36 similar to those on the center plate previously described. rIhe forward edges of the outer plates are likewise reinforced by flanges 37 and 38 similar to the flange 33 except that they are L-shaped to provide laterally directed ends which are secured to the housing 1 and to the outer end wall of the conveyor pan, respectively.

Projecting forwardly from the vertical portions of the outer plates 22 and 24 are tubular-shaped brackets 39 and 40, respectively, and projecting from the front face of the center plate 29 are spaced tubular-shaped brackets 41 and 42 to form the main supports for the pick-up mechanism. The brackets 39 and 41 and 40 and 42 are spaced equal distances from the throats 25 and 26. The brackets are preferably formed of sheet metal and rolled into tubular form, and their seams are riveted, as at 43, while their cuter ends are closed by heads 44. The inner ends of the tubes abut against the supporting plates and carry flange collars 45 which are riveted or bolted thereto by suitable fastening devices 46, as best illustrated in Fig. 3.

In order to reinforce and stiffen the plates against buckling under leverage strains incidental to the Weight carried on bracket members, the front portions of the plates are reinforced by plates 47 having their lower ends attached to the outer face of the vertical leg of the angle 18. The upper ends of the plates are provided with semi-circular notches to engage the under periphery of the tubular brackets, and are secured to the flanges of the brackets and to the supporting plates by certain of the fastening devices 46. The forward ends of the brackets are braced from their respective plates by brace arms 48 having their rear ends fixed to the upper portions of the plates and their forward ends provided with arcuate-shaped iianges 49 which are welded or otherwise secured to the tubes about midway of their length, as shown in Fig. 4.

Fixed adjacent the rear ends of each of the tubular brackets and projecting toward the throats 25 and 26 are arms 50 having curved seat portions fixed to the upper peripheries of the tubular brackets, as best illustrated in Fig. 4.

The arms 50 are curved upwardly and laterally from the tubular brackets and cooperate with similar arms 51 arranged reversely thereto in that they are attached to the lower peripheries of the tubular brackets adjacent their forward ends for supporting the pick-up mechanism now to be described.

The respective sets of arms are provided with spaced laterally extending ears 52--53 and 54-55 for supporting channel-shaped rails or guides 56 forming the sides of the passageways 57 and 58 which guide the stalks to the throats 25 and 26.

Fixed to the rear face of each of the arms 50 is an angle-shaped clip 59 for supporting gear housings 60. The gear housings 60 comprise upper and lower bell-shaped castings 6l and 62 provided with mating peripheral flanges 63 and 64, respectively, through which bolts 65 are extended to secure the castings together and the housings in position on the angle clips 59, as best illustrated in Fig. 3.

Extending outwardly in the axis of the bellshaped portions of the castings are bearing bosses 66 and 67 having axially aligned bores 68 to mount suitable roller bearings 69 for rotatably supporting vertically extending shafts 70. The ends of the shafts 70 extend through the housings a sufcient distance to mount upper and lower sprockets 71 and 72, respectively.

The upper sprockets 71 are preferably of larger diameter than the lower sprockets in order that the upper sprockets will have a greater peripheral speed than the lower sprockets for a purpose later described.

Rotatably mounted in each of the gear housings 69 and keyed to the shafts 70 are bevel gears 73 which are driven from bevel pinions 74 mounted in lateral extensions 75 of the upper bellshaped castings 61, as illustrated in Fig. 7. The pinions 75 are keyed to shafts 76 rotatably mounted in bearing bosses 77 projecting from the extensions 76 at right angles to the bearing bosses 66 and 67 for the shafts 70.

The opposite ends of the respective shafts 76 extend over the tubular brackets 39, 40, 41 and 42, and are rotatably supported in bearings 79 carried by the tubular brackets at a point in alignment with the plane of the axis of the shafts 70. The two outer shafts 76 are provided with sprockets 80 and 81, while the two intermediate shafts are interconnected by a single sprocket 82, or they may be provided as a single shaft extending from one gear box toi the other as this shaft does not cross either one of the passageways for the stalks.

In order to drive the sprockets 80, 81 and 82 to actuate the shafts 79, I provide a shaft 83 extending parallel with the front edge of the conveyor pan and having one end rotatably mounted in a gear housing 84 supported by the housing 1 adjacent the wall 8 thereof, as illustrated in Fig. 2, and its opposite end in a housing 85 supported from the outer tubular bracket 40, as illustrated in Fig. 8. The shaft 83 extends through a series of gear housings 86 which are carried from the Z-bar 16, as later described.

Fixed on the shaft 83 in alignment with the sprockets 80, 8l and 82 are sprockets 87, 88 and 89, and operating over the aligning pairs of sprockets are chains 90, 91 and 92, respectively.

The shaft 83 is driven from the conveyor screw `shaft 9 by a chain 93 operating over` a sprocket 94 on the conveyor shaft and over a sprocket 95 xed to a stub shaft 96 that is rotatably mounted in the gear housing 84. Fixed on the stub shaft 96 is a spur gear 97 meshing with a gear 98 on the shaft 83 (see Fig. 2). It is necessary to the proper shelling of the grain that the cylinder 2 should rotate in the direction of the arrow, Fig. 2, and therefore the conveyor shaft rotates toward the front edge of the conveyor pan. It is also necessary that the sprockets for the pick-up chains rotate in the proper direction and it is for this reason that the gears 97 and 98 are provided to reverse the rotation of the shaft 83 in order that the pick-up chains will be driven in the required directions.

Supported by the upper flanges 99 of the guide 56 are plates 100 (Figs. 5 and 6) having openings 101 to mount upwardly extending stub shafts 102 which are located in alignment with the upper ends of the shafts 70 to mount idler sprockets 103 over which the upper pick-up chains operate as later described. Fixed to the vertical web of gage the cornstalks as 'close to 'the @SWW to bit-deserted@ Teche@ the guide members and extending inthe directionof`the iltulges 9.9 arebr cket arjms 104car- 'ry'ing plates'105 located in paralleliiela with the: plates 10D `.but at' offset relation theretol" Theplates" 11.05' are'als'o scuredto the 'lower nanges'of 'the front supper'tingjarms 51 by" a" rivet gr the like 196 extenjciiiigthr e lower sans@ andithroug'h'the pla 'a's' sho n 11i Fig. 5j The frontof the piateistraed'ty' abariov connected with a'lhpw'ardly" d laterally extending pivot Amember '1118 for ing pivptedipic shoes as vlater desoribed."".'h 'p tes"105 Previdd'withidinilss lLQL g shafts l'lOWhC end dow wardly'th Ilefrf@ tnm'Qun-t sprpjek'ets 1'11 .in with the "sprockets 72 on the hait .Thess- 1t tnaftsiuz'anu 1 1; portions '112 for the s'prdketsand h' threaded Shanks 113 to eiite'rizl th uf A' tforr 'ings' in theirisupportingplatesJ shulf ders 1151 which cqop'r tjwitn nuts neen the Shanks for engaging oppositei s'of the plaies to retain the' shafts' in proper position. i The sprockets 103 and 111 areretained' on' the stub shafts b y collars lldwhich'are secured'to' the Shafts by pnzsl'l'rl. 'L "1 Operating 'over each of the pairs of upper sprockets 71 and 103 are chains" AV11S-119 'fand 12o-121arrangeu *so that the adjacent funs oi the chains l18`and 119 and the 'adjacent runs of the chains 120 and l21-'operate 'alongthe upper face'of the respective guide members 56, and the runs thereof are :backed by rails 122' secured be#- tween Vthel upper flange' 99 of the guides 'and angle-shaped b ars 123 'which cooperate' 'with the flanges 99 to form channel-shaped guides to' retain the runs' of the chain in functionalposition as the cornstalks are moved therebytoward the conveyor, as later described. The lowerpairs of sprockets are provided with similar chains 124-125 and" l2 6-'l2'7, and the runs thereof in line with the ':nennbers 5.6 are guided by rails 128 bolted between the lower faces of the lower I ian'ges' 129 of 'the' guides bfiand plates 130 which cooperate with the'iianges'to forni guide tracks siinilar to those 'f cii; the upper chains, as previously" described( The "oppdsite runs of. the upper chains are guided by bars 13,1 which areadjustablycarried fronijtne penser arnis 5.0*and'5l 'on platesl32 and 13.3. The'plates 132 'and 133 are'provided withlongitudinal'sldts 13.4 in order that the guide railsfinaybeinoved to and fromV the sprockets for tensioning .the chains.' The'guide rails are clamped in position on the plates by boltsy 13.5 which 'extend through openings in the rails' and the slots in the plates, and arey secured 'by'.clarnping 'mitsy A136,` asfilllisr' trated in Fig. 8.. The inner runs of thelower. chains are similarlyguided by rails 137 alsofsuplj;

\ ported by the'arms.

The upper pairs of chains are, longe;l than the. lower pair in order that when thecutting unit is moved into close proxirnty with' the ground the. forward ends offboth sets of chains operate to en` ground'. nos. sible. In orderto engage the stalks, and"glfldle.v them toward. the throats 25 and"`26`, the' chains are provided with laterally extending. lugs 135, of sunicient'length so that the lugs on'thefchains extend substantially hallwayacfross thefspace between the guides 54, l

' In order toY cut"'t he stalks delivered by the, chains', I provide pairs of cf `u1ar blades 11191-1451 iieieluidew ys,

0f. achbi' and 142-143 muntedin therespe gearhusingsand earry'spifjai gears 145 ine'shf .witn' spirargears" iispn'tne shaft s3 (see The"upper"sides of 'the blades are cov- 1. g Fig. 351iA ered Ine-Shaped 'Shields 147, While the lower Sides'are' prtectedbysimilar shields 148 Afor'rned on the igear'hous'ing'sl 'Ihe'teeth yon the respec- "Ye spiral'gears are arranged so that the pairs`r of blade `11iojl1f11and1f12l143 rotate toward'each other, j d .the diaineteis `of the gears may be .such thl .0, '1.0i thebladesrotates' at a" slightly faster Spdutha the th'ert'aidn the cutting f the stalks and the .discharge of the 'stalks' into the .veyo-pan-i- .i

The pilifllv. setfsbfch'r risy conveyor rnechanism, including the y y l d 119% 125 and 1Z0-126, are covered ya shield"`19 havingits rear edge secured to .theflanlg'e 33 its orward`edge attached to a yokef ape'd' niefrnber"151)'l extending across the outer'ends of vthecenter pair of Ytubular bracket iner'nbers,l Kasbesty illustrated in'Fig. 1,r while the pickup rnechanisrns, including the outer sets of chains; ,are enclosed bysirnilar shields'll and 15 "2"s1rni1arly supported frorntheiianges 37 and 38 aiid'y'okes 1 53 and 154, respectively carried at the en'ds o f'the outer tubular brackets 39. and 40'.

Piyotally supported' on the brackets or ,pivot members'lQS are forwardly extending shoes 155,

156 and "157. The'bas'e 'portions of the shoes conforni shape tothe ends of the shields just de-V scribed" and taper forwardly to provide pointed endsl'carrying reinforced ends 159.. The lower corners" o 'i the4 shoes are i'ed to the brackets 'by bolts'lo' that extend throughthe mernfbers' 108 (Figi 3) and theirfupper portionsare supported by bars 161 having their rear ends pivotallyattached to bolts 162 carried by the yokes supported on the irontencls of thef tubular brackets. The" reward enesjof tne bars are provided with n.111 lty" Qf. 'onenngs '16,3V and 'slidably "extend throlu h ea s 164@ depending from th'nner face 0f the 'esi The. Shoes'are retained in adjusted positqn'teiativeiy to the ground by pms 165 extending through 'one of they openings and engaging 'the outer face of Athe-ears, as illustrated in Fig. 1.kv t is thus apparent that by selecting the` opening through which. the pin is inserted the shoes may besupported at varying distances from the ground. IfA the` pins are removed, the shoes will slide'directly. onthe ground as the'machine is being moved across the; field. It is desirable that heI 'shoes move as close tothe ground as possible in.' Order ihatftheV .fallen stalks 'may be. picked'up and guided therebyv to be engaged by. one or. otherv of the pickupfchains which thenv e 'gage thef stalksv and Inox/el them into engagement with' the' circular cutters.

` The outer members. 1,08 are supported. directly byf'the. outer tubular brackets upon outwardly and downwardly extending arms. 1 6? braced by barsA 168y and 16.9 connectingI the. lower end of alims 16.7,r with the iront'and rear ends,- respectively, of theou'ter tubular members.

In using a harvester constructed and aSSCrn-y bled. as described, the inachineisfdrawn over the,

field andfalong the rows'oi corn so that one row.

1'4'4 are rotatably mounted in the cutting devices v142` and 143, `ward travelof the machine.

In order to 'stra', ifl1 ten fthe fallen'stalks, 'the `'upper chain runs at a. slightly hiehersp'eed than aided by the forthe "lower chain so that fthe' upper portions of the stalks are moved at a faster speed,`which tends to move the stalks'into'perpendicular po# sitiOn. Whenthe stalks are engaged by the-"saws, tn eyare severed and discharged byeentrifugal 'force intothe conveyor pan with thejtops .'fall- 'ing against the back boardv 5. Thefscrevpconveyor then engages the cut ends of` the stalks 'and feeds them toward the threshing `cylinder Where the ears are shelled" and the fodder 'is shredded for discharge into the separating por:- tion of the vrnachin'e.j V

What Iclaim and desire to secure bylietters Patent is: A

`1,*InY a harvesting machine, abutting unitin vcluding pairs of verticallyspa'ced movable pickup members, and means for actuating the upper pick-up members at a faster speed vthan the lower pick-up members'whereby inclining stalks ene gaged` by' said pick-up members are moved 'te ja vertical position. J v2. vIn a vharvesting z nachine or 'the'fcharacter described, cuttingunitincluding ajconveyor pan, a b racketjrnember supportedin frontof the panand-extending forwardlyof the ma# chine, arms'carried by the bracket member, ver# ticallyspaced pick-up membersarried bythe said armsforjmoving stalks toward the conveyor pan, means for ac'tuating'theupperpick up member at a faster' spee d` than the lowe'rjpick up member whereby incliningstalks engaged byY said pick' upjmembers v are moved tovertical p 'of sition, vand, means supported 1in frontlpf the conveyor pan for se'vering'the' straighlldfstalks moved by saidpick-up member k f Q Q g 3. In a 'harvesting f machineo 'the cha" `eter' described, a cutting." unit Vvincluding a cp pan, a plate rmember supported "infr the pan, a bracket member having its endse cured to the plate member and projecting'` for- Wardly of the machine, vertically spaced pick-,up

members carried by the bracket memberilfor moving vstalks towardtheconveyor pan, means for actuating the, upper,pickbupy member at, a

faster Vspeed'ithan thelower pick 'up member,

'- whereby -inclining position and means supported in frontwojthe stalks are moved to` vertical conveyor panier severing the s talksmoved said pick-up 'memb ers. 4, In aharvesting machine 'of thejch'aracter described, a cutting unit comprisingA a "conveyorv pan, spaced plate members supported fin front of the pan, tubular bracket members havin'gtheir ends secured to the plate ing forwardly'bf themachine, arm members ex-4 l of the conveyor pan` for severing" the stalks moved by said pick-up chains.

i. tending laterauypifromthe Ybracket members;

pairs of verticallyispaced pick-up chains carried by the arm, members for moving stalkstoward the conveyor pan, and means supported'infro'nt V.5. In a harvestingmachine ofthe character described, a cutting unit comprising a conveyor pan, spaced plate members supported in front of the pan, tubular bracket membershaving 1 theirends secured to the plate members and extending forwardly of the machine, 'arm mem` bers extending laterally from the bracket members, pairs of vertically spaced pick-up chains carried bythe arm members for moving stalks toward the 4conveyor npan. means Asupported' in' "operating" the; upper' members and extend-1 of the conveyorpan'ifor severing the vstalks moverdbyls idv pick-upv chains, and means for pick-up chains at a higher speed than the Alower vchains whereby the stalks eved'to perpendieular position when 'enall' ,dbv thec"oni/ever@bains-Wy a f i'. In a` l iarvesting machine of the character described; abutting unitcornprising 4a conveyor pan, spaced' plate members'supportedjin front of tnepan; tubular bracket members having their ends securedfto thev plate' members and extending `forwardly o f "t he'm`achine,' vertically spaced pick'- up members carried by the'tubularfbracket membersA formoving'st'alksQtowad the conveyor pan,

guide' shoesipivotally supported 'in front oit-'the pick-up rnembersgf'and means supported in front of the' conveyor panrorfseyfering the stalks moved Jbyr said'pick-'up members. ""'7. In a harvesting `maclliine, aeuttingv unit including .supporting .jinemb'ers, ypairs of vertically s pacedconveyor vchains,spaced apart to form a passagewa' between'1 the pairs of chains, fingers onthe'jch" smovable through said passageway, end rneans'jor operating the upper chains at a faster speed thanthe lower chainswhereby in; yclining .stalks engaged by said ngers are` moved to a vertical position. f 8. Irrel,v harvesting machine of the character .des ed, abutting unit comprising a conveyor pan, spaced plate members' supportedv in front or this pan, tubular bracket members having their ends secured to the plate vmembers and extendforwardly. Qfihe machine; means forbracine the ,.tubnlargbr cket 'members fromthe plate members, arm members 'extending laterally from pairs vo i 'v ertically spaced pick-upf @hamster lJed bv the members for moving stalksv toward the conveyor pan, means supported vin iront of the v conveyor pan for sever; ingthje'jstalks moved by said pick-'up chains, and means for operating the upper pick-,up chains at auhigherspeed than the lower chains `whereby thejstalksaremoved to a perpendicular position` the bracket vIn@llbersj whenemga'gfedr by the 'conveyor chains.' 9`; I n la, harvestingjmachine of the character de sQribeA'dQacuttingunit comprising a conveyor pan,fjsp`aced platemembers supported in front of the pan, tubular i bracket v members having' their ends secured to th'e'plate members and extending forwardly of the machine', arm members extendingflaterallyjfrom the bracket members, guide members carried by said arm. members and space'dapart to form a guideway therebetween, pairs of "vertically spaced `pick-up chains supported by the tubularjbracket 'members and movable 'in said' chain guides for moving stalks toward the conveyor pan, meansV supported in front of the conveyorv pan for severing the stalks moved bysaid pick-up chains, and means for operating the upper speed than the lower chainswhereby the stalks are moved to a perpendicular position when engaged `by the conveyor chains.

10.Inlaharvesting machine or the characterA pick-up chains at a higher described, afcutting unit comprising a conveyor i? 'c pan, spaced plate members supported in front or the pan, tubular bracket'members having their ends secured to the plate members and extending forwardly ofthe machine, arm members extending laterally from the rnembers carried by said arm members and spaced apart to form a' guideway therebetween, pairsof vertically `spaced pick-up chains supported bythe tubular bracket members and movable in said chain' guides'for moving stalks toward bracket members, guide the conveyor pan, and means supported in front of the conveyor pan for severing the stalks moved by said pick-up chains.

11. In a harvesting machine of the character described, a cutting unit comprising a conveyor pan, spaced plate members supported in front of the pan, tubular bracket members having collars on their end-s secured to the plate members, reinforcing plate members xed to the pan and to said collars, vertically spaced pick-up members carried by the tubular bracket members for moving stalks toward the conveyor pan, guide shoes pivotally supported in front of the pick-up members, and means supported in front of the conveyor pan for severing the stalks moved by said pick-up members.

12. In a harvesting machine, a cutting unit including supporting members, pairs of vertically spaced conveyor chains spaced apart to form a passageway between the pairs of chains, ngers on the chains and movable through said passageway, means for operating the upper chains at a faster speed than the lower chains whereby inclining stalks engaged by said fingers are moved to a vertical position, and pivoted guide shoes supported in front of said conveyor chains to guide the stalks into position to be engaged by the conveyor chains.

13. In a harvesting machine of the character described, a cutting unit comprising a conveyor pan, spaced plate members supported in front of the pan, tubular bracket members having collars at their ends secured to the plate members, means for bracing the tubular bracket members from the plate members, laterally extending arms fixed to the tubular bracket members, guide members xed to the arms, sprockets supported adjacent the ends of the guide members, vertically spaced pick-up chains operable over the sprockets for moving stalks toward the conveyor pan, guide shoes pivotally supported in front of the pick-up members, and means supported in front of the conveyor pan for severing the stalks moved by said pick-up members.

14. In a harvesting machine of the character described, a cutting unit comprising a conveyor pan, spaced plate members supported in front of the pan, tubular bracket members having collars at their ends secured to the plate members, means for bracing the tubular bracket members from the plate members, laterally extending arms fixed to the tubular bracket members, guide members xed to the arms, sprockets supported adjacent the ends of the guide members, and vertically spaced pick-up chains operable over the sprockets for moving stalks toward the conveyor pan.

15. In a harvesting machine of the character described, a cutting unit comprising a conveyor pan, spaced plate members supported in front of the pan, bracket members having their ends secured to the plate members and extending forwardly of the machine, arm members extending laterally from the bracket members, pairs of vertically spaced pick-up chains carried by the arm members for moving stalks toward the conveyor pan, and means supported in front of the conveyor pan for severing the stalks moved by said pick-up chains.

16. In a harvesting machine of the character described, a cutting unit comprising a conveyor pan, spaced plate members supported in front of the pan, wings on adjacent sides of the plate members and spaced apart to form a throat therebetween, bracket members having their ends secured to the plate members and extending forwardly of the machine, laterally extending arms on the bracket members, guide members fixed to the arms and spaced apart to form a passageway leading to said throat, pick-up members operable along said guide members for moving stalks toward the conveyor pan, and means supported in front of the conveyor pan for severing the stalks moved by said pick-up members.

17. In a harvesting unit, supporting means for stalk pick up members including a mounting plate, wings on the mounting plate, tubular bracket members having their ends secured to the mounting plate and having their opposite ends extending forwardly therefrom, a yoke member supported by the forward ends of the tubular bracket member, brace members fixed to the mounting plate and to the forward ends of the tubular members, arms fixed to the tubular bracket member, pick up guide members carried by said arms, and a covering member having its ends fixed to the mounting plate and to the yoke member respectively and having its side edges xed to said guide members for cooperating with the brace members to enhance the rigidity of the bracket member.

18. In a harvesting machine, a cutting unit including upper and lower pick up members, and means for actuating the upper pick up member at a faster speed than the lower pick up member whereby inclining stalks engaged by said pick up members are moved to vertical position.

19. In a harvesting unit, supporting means for stalk pick up members including a mounting plate, wings on the mounting plate, tubular bracket members having their ends secured to the mounting plate and having their opposite ends extending forwardly therefrom, bar members, a yoke member supported by the forward ends of the tubular bracket members and having ends cooperating with said wings for supporting the bar members, brace members fixed to the mounting plate and to the forward ends of the tubular members, laterally extending arms fixed to the tubular bracket members, pick up guide members xed to the arms, a shield member having side edges fixed to said bar members and end edges and to the mounting plate and to the yoke member, and a guide shoe cooperating with the shield member for enclosing the bracket and arm members.

20. In a harvesting unit, supporting means for stalk pick up members including a mounting plate, a tubular bracket member having a collar at the end thereof secured to the mounting plate, means for bracing the tubular bracket member from the mounting plate, laterally extending arms fixed to opposite ends of the tubular bracket member, and pick up guide members carried by said arms.

21. In a harvesting machine of the character described, a cutting unit comprising a conveyor pan, spaced mounting plates supported in front of the pan, tubular bracket members having collars on their ends secured to the mounting plates, reinforcing plate members fixed to the pan and overlying said collars, laterally extending arms supported on the tubular bracket members, guide members iixed to the arms, pick up members supported by said arms and operable along the guide members for moving stalks toward the conveyor pan, and means supported in front of the conveyor pan for severing the stalks moved by said pick up members.

TORVALD N. PIERSON. 

